20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay is No. 20 in our power rankings. The Buccaneers had been able to win the NFC South for years prior to the 2025 season, but a regression across the board has them trending in the wrong direction. The defense was simply limp and uninspiring, and the offense took a major nosedive.
Overall, the Bucs can be a competent team again, but as we have seen in the Todd Bowles era, the ceiling is rather low, and it feels like we could be on the cusp of some major changes. QB Baker Mayfield seems rather disrespected at not getting the contract offer he wanted, franchise legend Mike Evans left in free agency, and Vita Vea also appears to be unhappy.
All in all, this is a tough spot for the Bucs to be in right now. The one thing going in their favor is their recent history of proving they can win the division, so that could help in the late-season push. With that said, the Bucs don't really scare you at any position, so it's going to be a tough time to get back to winning.
19. Dallas Cowboys
I would watch out for the Dallas Cowboys in 2026 - this team is capable of winning the NFC East. If it wasn't for a bottom-tier defense in 2025, Dallas would have likely won the division or at least snuck into the playoffs as a Wild Card.
With the offense ranking inside the top-10 in points, the new-look defense just has to be competent. The Cowboys also have the best QB and playmakers in the division, so things do point in their favor if you can believe that.
Dallas was also in the NFC East race at one point in 2025, but it didn't last that long. My point here is that, while the Cowboys have some work to do, the defense really just needs to be average for great things to happen.
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